Jinting Han people

Yangping Pass has been a place where heroes have displayed their prowess since ancient times.

One hundred and ten years ago, Zhang Lu conquered this place, successfully seizing Hanzhong and ruling it for twenty years; ninety years ago, Cao Cao and Liu Bei vied for supremacy here, eventually establishing a tripartite balance of power; forty years ago, Zhong Hui and Deng Ai also entered Shu from here, initiating the war for unification by the Jin Dynasty. Now, Liu Xian stands here once again, gazing upon the forests of rocks and pines that form a natural barrier on both banks, his heart filled with boundless emotion. He thinks: Seeing such beautiful scenery, how can people not feel their hearts stirred and harbor ambitions to conquer the world?

However, the accompanying generals were rather pessimistic, as the conditions for fighting here would be far too harsh. Before Yangping Pass, there was only a flat path, barely wide enough for a dozen men to walk side by side. Under these conditions, attacking Yangping Pass via this path was undoubtedly impossible. And to the south lay the Han River, leaving only one operational option: set up camp on Yangping Mountain and then cross it to attack Yangping Pass.

This was precisely the option Cao Cao had when he destroyed Zhang Lu. However, even though Cao Cao had an army of over 100,000, he suffered a setback at Yangping Pass because the terrain was too treacherous.

According to the "Memorials of Famous Ministers of Wei: Dong Zhao's Memorial" in the "Wei Lue", Zhang Lu's army also set up camp on Yangping Mountain. Cao Cao's army was forced to attack from below. Not to mention breaking through the camp, it was extremely difficult to even get close. After a night of fierce fighting, the casualties on both sides reached a shocking ratio of one to fifty. Cao Cao was extremely frustrated when he saw this situation and immediately wanted to return home.

Fortunately, on the day of the retreat, a strange thing happened at Yangping Pass: for some unknown reason, a herd of thousands of deer suddenly rushed up the northern mountain and broke through the fence erected by Zhang Lu's army. Since the Five Pecks of Rice sect regarded deer as divine beasts, Zhang Lu's army thought they had been punished by the gods, and the garrison on the northern mountain immediately fled in panic. Cao Cao realized what was happening and immediately stopped the retreat. Before the garrison could patch up the breach, he seized Yangping Mountain first, and thus, by a twist of fate, captured Yangping Pass.

Because of this incident, Zhang Lu also believed that Cao Cao was a man of great fortune blessed by Heaven. Therefore, he refused Liu Bei's offer to recruit him and made the famous saying, "I would rather be Cao Cao's slave than Liu Bei's honored guest." In the end, he handed over the entire Hanzhong Commandery and its more than one million people to Cao Cao intact.

Now, besides Yangping Pass in front of them, people can also see that on Yangping Mountain to the north, there are also many camps, forming a systematic defense system, no different from the deployment of Zhang Lu's army back then. However, Liu Xian has neither Cao Cao's more than 100,000 troops nor the good fortune of thousands of deer leading the way to break through the encirclement. In everyone's eyes, it is truly as difficult as climbing to heaven to break through Yangping Pass head-on.

Therefore, some suggested that it would be better to retreat to Ju County first, and then consider whether it was possible to use the navy to bypass this treacherous pass. After all, when Liu Bei took Hanzhong, he directly ignored Yangping Pass, crossed the Han River into Hanzhong, and then dug a supply route through the mountains to go south to Dingjun Mountain and then conquer Hanzhong.

However, Liu Xian rejected this suggestion. Ignoring the objections from the army, he ordered everyone to set up camp on the mountain and declared that once the camp was established, the army would attack Yangping Pass within three days. This sparked much discussion among the troops: "The Marshal has always been reluctant to launch a direct attack. Could setting up camp now be part of a clever strategy?"

But what exactly was this ingenious plan? The generals couldn't figure it out, but Liu Xian's prestige was enough to suppress all opposition. They could only go up the mountain to cut down trees and set up camp, speculating on Liu Xian's possible arrangements while awaiting the military council.

Sure enough, early the next morning, Liu Xian summoned all the generals in the army and explained the battle plan to them.

Just as his generals suspected, he did not intend to launch a direct attack on Yangping Pass; Liu Xian had never made such a foolish and reckless decision before. However, in his view, the idea of ​​entering Hanzhong by naval force was also unfeasible.

Because things are very different now than they were back then; there are two major differences.

First, Liu Xian did not have enough boats. Since the end of the autumn flood season, the Jiang River in Chencang Road has receded, causing most boats, except for a few small boats, to be stranded and unable to enter Chencang Road.

Secondly, Liu Xian's time is now precious. Unlike his great-grandfather, he cannot mobilize large amounts of grain and supplies to bypass the pass and plan a protracted decisive battle. Given the current conditions, to quickly stabilize the situation in Hanzhong, especially to rapidly resettle the immigrants under his command, it is essential to quickly capture Yangping Pass to ensure the smooth progress of the migration.

Therefore, Liu Xian's original plan was to train a special force, led by Zhuge Yan, to climb the mountain rocks and take the small path across Yangping Mountain, and then incite the people inside Hanzhong to respond, so as to attack Yangping Pass from both inside and outside.

During the Qi Wannian Rebellion, many refugees from Yongzhou and Qinzhou entered Hanzhong and had close ties with Liu Xian. Having come from afar without any powerful backers, their lives were undoubtedly difficult. By bribing these people, Liu Xian could essentially have an inside agent in Hanzhong. Meanwhile, the special force to cross the mountains was already in place: the Flying Hawk Battalion led by Mao Bao. Liu Xian had specially trained them for three months, ensuring they could safely traverse any cliff face except a completely vertical one.

At this point, everyone felt that the plan had a good chance of success, so they asked Liu Xian, "How confident are you, Marshal, in this plan?"

Liu Xian replied, "About 60 or 70%, the odds aren't high, so I've already decided to give up."

These words caused an uproar among the crowd. There is no battle in the world that is guaranteed to be won; achieving a 60-70% success rate is already difficult. Why would Liu Xian give up so easily?

Only then did Liu Xian slowly reveal: "Because we have a better choice."

He was referring to none other than Wei Jun, who had led his clan to join him when he was replenishing his troops in Xianyang.

This scholar, who had previously helped Liu Xian during the Battle of Luoyang, was meeting Liu Xian for the first time. His words were eloquent, his talent exceptional, and his demeanor similar to Li Ju's; he quickly gained Liu Xian's trust. Wei Jun then volunteered, guaranteeing Liu Xian that he had served in the Western Expeditionary Army for many years and had many acquaintances in Hanzhong. He assured Liu Xian that given enough time, he could persuade Yangping Pass to surrender without bloodshed.

This was an excellent suggestion, and the two immediately agreed. Wei Jun went to Hanzhong alone, while Liu Xian kept the news secret. Apart from a very few people like Meng Tao and Wei Jun's family members left in the army, almost no one knew of his existence. Liu Xian hoped that this would ensure Wei Jun's safety and also lower the guard of the Hanzhong garrison.

However, Wei Jun was alone, and after more than a month, he was unable to send anyone back to make contact. Therefore, before arriving at Yangping Pass, Liu Xian did not know whether Wei Jun's attempt to persuade him to surrender had succeeded. At this moment, he needed someone to infiltrate Yangping Pass first to ascertain its true situation. If he could contact Wei Jun within the city, the matter of opening the pass would most likely be resolved easily.

Upon hearing this, many found it unbelievable. Especially seasoned officials like He Pan, who had long been entrenched in officialdom, subtly criticized Liu Xian: "My lord, as a ruler, you shouldn't be so easily trusting. Human hearts are unpredictable. In Luoyang, Sima Yue was able to hide for so many years before finally revealing his conspiracy. You, however, have only met Wei Jun once; how can you know his character? Who knows if he hasn't set a trap to lure us in?"

He then voiced his conjecture: “My lord, perhaps you are right. Wei Jun is a good man, but isn’t it strange that such a good man was promoted by the Prince of Hejian and served in the Western Expeditionary Army for many years? People are fickle, but can a good man stay with Zhang Fang and Li Han for so long under their influence? It doesn’t make sense.”

"Moreover, he said he had old friends at Yangping Pass, but who knows whether he persuaded his old friends after arriving in Hanzhong, or whether his old friends persuaded him to change his mind? Birds of a feather flock together, my lord, you must be careful!"

These words immediately drew echoes from many others. Clearly, after the bloody battle of Luoyang, the officials of the Sili Prefecture harbored a deep resentment towards the Western Expeditionary Army, especially Zhang Fang's subordinates. This deep resentment, in turn, formed a prejudice; they were unwilling to believe that any upright gentlemen could possibly emerge from the quagmire of the Western Expeditionary Army.

But Liu Xian understood a principle: how a person changes is not primarily determined by their environment.

An ordinary person can fall into depravity for various reasons, including the influence of their environment. But ultimately, if someone wants to change themselves and become a completely different person, no environment can stop them, because it's simply a matter of a single thought. Only oneself can determine what kind of person one becomes.

This is a unique freedom that no one possesses. No matter how much power, wealth, or influence another person may have, they cannot truly subdue another person's mind. After all, the greatest threat in the world is nothing more than killing another person, but even that cannot change their thoughts. This is what later generations meant when they said, "Man can be destroyed but not defeated."

The reason most people fall into depravity is actually that they want to fall into depravity. It's just that this sounds very unpleasant, so they attribute it to the environment, deceiving themselves by saying that it's all the world's fault and that they have no chance of changing it. But once a person realizes that all their thoughts are determined by themselves and that they can change themselves, it's like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon—it's impossible for them to fall back into depravity.

Since Wei Jun voluntarily left the Western Expeditionary Army and entrusted his family to Liu Xian, it shows that he has the awareness to change himself. Although Liu Xian has misjudged many people in his life, he has never misjudged those with such awareness. For example, Li Ju, Lu Zhi, and Zu Ti all had similar awareness. On the other hand, those who cannot see themselves clearly are the opposite, such as Lu Ji and Sima Jiong.

Therefore, Liu Xian still said, "Lord He, you are overthinking it. I am only sending someone into the city to make some contact. Even if it fails, we can attack the city again. Why be so hostile?" He Pan could not persuade him otherwise, so he had to agree in the end.

He then ordered Wei Jun's nephew, Wei Gai, to come and blend in with the prisoners in Ju County. He then commanded Zhuge Yan to lead a small team to escort the seven hundred-plus prisoners to Yangping Pass. Under the pretext of persuading them to surrender, he planned to release them all. If Wei Jun were inside the pass at that time, Wei Gai could contact him to confirm the details of opening the city gates.

If Wei Jun is currently inside the city and can open the gates directly, that would be ideal. If Wei Jun cannot open the gates but can act as an inside agent and respond during the siege, that would also be acceptable. The worst-case scenario is that Wei Jun is not found inside the city, in which case the only option is to follow Liu Xian's pre-arranged plan and attack Yangping Pass using a roundabout method.

Having made up his mind, Liu Xian waited for news on the mountain, but two days passed without any word from Wei Gai. This greatly disappointed the generals waiting to enter the pass, who whispered among themselves, "Has that Wei fellow already figured out our army's strength and is preparing to hold their ground and not respond?"

By the third day, Liu Xian felt he couldn't just sit idly by. Although he didn't know what had happened inside the city, he still needed to make preparations. So he summoned Mao Bao and instructed him to prepare ropes for crossing the mountain and to climb into Hanzhong at night. That very night, in the hazy mist, before the soldiers had even made any moves, flames suddenly shot into the sky from the city walls, and a faint commotion could be heard from within. However, because the city walls were so high, no one knew the specific details inside.

Upon receiving the report, Liu Xian immediately ordered Mao Bao to lead his men directly to the pass. When they were only a few dozen paces from the pass, they were surprised to find that the gate was ajar, with a crack wide enough for one person to pass through. While the others hesitated, wondering if it was a trap, Mao Bao had already drawn his sword and slipped through the crack. The others, not daring to lose their commander, had no choice but to follow.

About a hundred men entered the city gate and found it empty. A few dozen steps further, they could see people waving torches on the city wall, calling for them to go up. Mao Bao did not hesitate. When he reached the steps leading to the city gate, he immediately walked up to the city wall. The man in charge, dressed in military uniform, saw him and grabbed Mao Bao's hand tightly, saying, "Are you one of Anle Gong's men?"

Seeing that the man was tall and handsome, and judging from his age, probably between thirty and forty, Mao Bao knew that this man must be Wei Jun.

Wei Jun explained to Mao Bao, “The one guarding this pass is my good friend Ren Bai. I had originally persuaded him, but a few days ago, after receiving orders and hearing that Zhang Fang was coming, he became fearful and changed his mind. Not only did he refuse to open the city gate for the lord, but he also began to monitor me closely. I persuaded some refugees to cause trouble outside and took advantage of the situation to open the gate. Go quickly to find Duke Anle and invite the main force of troops in!”

As Mao Bao was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly instructed him: "When you go to ask for troops, please be sure to tell Duke Anle that the soldiers have no intention of resisting. Ask him to restrain his troops and not to disturb the people. Just take over the city gates and towers. I will negotiate the rest. They can be captured if they surrender!"

"Then what are you doing?"

"I'll guard the west gate and wait for you to come back!"

Half an hour later, Li Ju led his cavalry to Yangping Pass, where the west gate remained unscathed. The knights then galloped without stopping to the high fortresses of Yangping Pass, taking control of them one by one. They then raised torches, taking turns to demonstrate their power to the defenders who were preparing to attack the west gate. Then, someone shouted, raising the "Eight Characters of Peace and Joy" banner high atop Yangping Pass, and proclaimed, "The Duke of Anle has entered the city!"

This shout was like a bolt from the blue. The rest of Liu Xian's soldiers echoed it in unison, leaving the defending troops utterly bewildered. They were already somewhat at a loss, and now they were completely stunned. Wei Jun then left the west gate, leading seven or eight men into the enemy ranks. Without taking any weapons, he approached with his hands raised high, saying, "The Duke of Anle does not kill surrendered soldiers. If you want to live, quickly throw down your weapons, and you can be sent back to your hometown afterward!"

Seeing this, the remaining people stirred, and many threw down their weapons and surrendered to him. (End of Chapter)